Process of making building blocks



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May 27, 1930. M. sKoLNm PROCESS OF MKKING BUILDING BLOCKS Filed Nov, 19, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l 3 Sheets-Sheetl 2 172 Ven for.' Mw( S/fo fu/( n AM y form eye?.-

M. sKoLNIK Filed Nov. 19, 1926 May 27, 1930.

May 27, 1930. M. sKoLNlK 1,760,446

PROCESS OF MAKING BUILDING BLOCKS Filed Nv. 19; 192B 3 sheets-shed 5 Pmnd May 27, 1930 I UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ICE MAX SKOLNIK, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO INSOLO HOLDING OOM- PANY, OF MINNEAPOLIMINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA PROCESS OF MAKING BUILDING BLOCKS AppIication filed November 19, 1928. Serial No. 320,411.

My invention relates to building blocks andv the like, and the process of making the same. At the present time, insulation material used in connection with walls of buildings is usually mahufactured in sheet form or in the form of flakes. This manner of manufacture not onl involves an additional expense for the `builder but in cases where the insulation is used as a base for plastering without the addition of metal lath, it has been found to be unsatisfactory. One of the objects of my invention is to provide a building block of insulatin material which will be self supporting an at the same time as the wall is constructed will provide a thoroughly insulated wall on both sides. Another object is 'to/provide a block of this character which will effectively serve as a plaster base on the/ inside and as a baise for stucco or sini-ilar material on the outside. Another obje'ct is y.to provide a process by which blocks of this character andvfalso similar articles such as roofing tile may be readily manufactured from fibrous material such as straw, the blocks or tiles be subjected to treatment which will make them self-sustaining and fire-resistant.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof, and the novel features of my inventive idea will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section showing avdevice for treating fibrous material. Fig. 2 is a y View in vertical section showing a pressing devlcc. Fig. 3 is an elevational view--of-a -operation pumps the alkali solution back to 5 tive viewrof this form of roong tile. Fig. ing operation is continued until the bers 100 pressing device. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a drying device. Fig. 5 is a plan view of one lform of building block made from my material. Fig. 6 is a view in horizontalsec- `tion showing how the blocks are arranged,

to form a wall. Fig. -7 is a view in vertical 12 isa perspective view of another form of roofing tile.

In carrying out my invention, fibrous material such as straw is placed in a receptacle 16 having a charging chute 18 as shown in Fig. 1. A disk 20 is adjustably supported within the receptacle 16 in spaced relation to the bottom thereof by'set screws 22 which pass through said bottom and engage in recesses in the lower surface of the disk 20. A.V disk 24 having corrugations in its lower surface to cooperate with the upper surface of the disk 20 is placed above the latter. The disk 24 is secured to a shaft 26 which passes through a bearing 28 secured to the top of the receptacle 16, the lower end of this shaft being supported in a bearing 30 carried by the disk 20. A solution of an alkali containing from about 75% to 85% of water is introduced into the receptacle 16 in order to make the fibrous material more pliable. Upon rotating the shaft 26 from any suitable source of power, the fibrous material is drawn in between the rotating disk 24 and the stationary disk 20 and is crushed in much the same manner that a match is crushed under foot. The crushing action is preferably continued until the fibrous material is reduced to pieces Varying from three-eighths of an inch to an inch inlength. When this resulthas been the receptacle 16 throu h a pi e 40. The pump 38 is driven by a elt 42 rom a shaft 44 which passes centrally through the receptacle 36 and carries beater arms 46. WhenV the alkali solution has been removed from the receptacle 36, the operation of the pump section -on the line 7--7 of Fi 6. AFi '18 isH is stopped. 'The operat1on of the beater arms an end elevational view of a lock. ign Y9V is a view in vertical'section on the line 9--9 of Fig. 10 showing the manner of layingfone form of roofing tiles. Fi 10 is a view taken at right-angles to Fig. 9. ig. 11 is a perspecis continued and at the same time a solution of slaked lime reduced toa consistency less than thick paste is introduced into the vreceptacle 36 upon removing a cover 48 with which the receptacle is provided. The beathave been saturated with the lime solution. Before the fibrous mass thus produced is taken from the-receptacle 36, the lime solu-A form a block in the box 56, a lower plunger` y58 is moved from the position shown in Fig. 3 up into the position shown in Fig. 2 so that core members 60 carried by the plunger are introduced into the box. The proper amount of fibrous material F is then run into the box through the tube 50. This mass is pressed b meansv of an upper plunger 62 aving a ownwardly rojecting middle portion 64 which comes own into engagement with the to s of the core members 60 so that a recess is ormed in the top of the block as it is pressed into shape. The block is then removed from the press and dried in a suitable drying oven or room. An arrangement for such purpose is shown in Fig. 4 in which a closed chamber having walls 66 is provided. This chamber has a charging door 68 so that the blocks may be placed upon the 85 upper end of an inclined surface 70 extending nearly to the opposite side of the chamber. The blocks gradually slide down the inclined surface 70 and then slide down succcssiveinclined surfaces 72 and 74 to a disv and the blocks should also be quite warmV when they are immersed. At this time, the lime which is present in the fibrous material unites with the water-glass to form a hard stonelike substance and the material is also rendered fire-resistant. The block is then preferably placed in a second press which is similar to the iirst one but somewhat smaller and the block is thereby given its final permanent form. Fi 5 is a top lan view of one form of bloc which may be produced with the use of my material. As shown this block has vertical side members 84 and 86 connected by cross members 88, 90, 92, 94, 96, and 98, the two end members 88 and 98 being inset from the ends of by partition members so that a comparativev ly large vertical opening 108 is left in the central portion of the block for receiving cement when the block is laid. The vertical openings between the side member 84 and longitudinal member 100, the side member 84 and longitudinal 104, the side member 86 and longitudinal member 102, and the side member 86 and longitudinal member 106 are also intended for receiving cement when the blocks are laid as will be understood from Fig. 6 which shows a horizontal section of a block laid in a wall. The side members 84 and 86 and the cross members88, 90, 92, 94, 96 and 98 are provided with cement anchoring holes 110 in such manner that vertical spaces 112, 114, 116, and 118 have no perforations in their vertical walls. The left hand portion of the block.

shown in Fig. 6`is taken in horizontal section through the holes 110 while the right hand portion of this figure is in horizontal section above said holes. It will be seen that the inset ends of a block fit half way around studs S of the building, the end of an adjacent block fitting the rest of the way around the stud. As the blocks are being laid in courses, cement is poured so as to fill all of the vertical openings except those designated 112, 114, 116, and 118. In order to prevent these openings from receivin cement, temporary filling blocks B are p aced at the tops thereof as shown in Fig. 7 these blocks being removed as the wall is built up so that air spaces are provided in the wall extending from top to bottom. In order to complete the wall and hide the insulating blocks, the, two sides of the wall may be plastered or coated with cement or other plastic material as indicated at C and C. In order vto make this coating adhere more firmly, the side members 84 and 86 of the block may be provided with corru ations 120 and 122 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. It will be understood from Figs. 9, 10, and 11 that m material may be employed for makin roo ing tile such as the corrugated tile indicated at 124 having a rib 126 at one end and an intermediate rib 128 so that the tile when laid may be made to overlap at the ends as shown in Fig. 10. In order to cause these tiles to overlap at the side edges, each tile is provided with complementary fiat side margins 130 and 132 as shown in Fig. 11. In

the use of roofing tile, it is im ortant that scribed including the silicate treatment and drying is subjected to a spray of bituminous material such` as asphalt, rosin or a mixture of the two. When this coating has been applied in heated condition and while it is still hot, crushed marble, granite or similar material is preferably applied and pressed down into the upper surface, thus producing a smooth, finished and attractive appearance.

l When the tile has thus been treated, the holloWs on the underside thereof `are preferably filled with loose material indicated at 134, this material being combined with liquid gypsum, and when this is set, a coating of clear gypsum indicated at 136 in plasterlike form is applied which leaves the underside of the tile flat. This serves two purposes. One is that it eliminates sheeting of the roof so that the tile may be laid directly upon strips 138 lplaced the proper distance apart and supported by customary roof members 140. Fig. 2 shows another form of roofing tile 142 made in the form of a shingle so as to be thicker at the lower end than it is at the upper end and provided with a rib 144 at the lower end and an intermediate rib 146. The rib 146 is located at the beginning of the portion exposed to the weather so that the tiles may be overlapped in the manner of ordinary shingles.

I claim: -l

1. The process of making building blocks and the like which consists in reducing f1- brous material to comparatively small pieces, subjecting `the reduced material to the action of a solution of lime, pressing theiibrous mass into shape, dryin the pressed material, and treating the ried material with water glass.

2. The process of making buildin blocks and the like vwhich consists in su jecting fibrous material to the action of an alkali to make the fibers more pliable, reducing the fibrous material to comparatively small pieces, subjecting the reduced material to the action of `a` solution of lime, pressing the brous massinto shape, drying the pressed material, and4 treating` the dried material with water glass.

ing is., still hot pressing pieces of stonelike4 material into the surface thereof.

6. The process of making building blocks and the like which consists in subjecting brous material to the action of an alkali to lmake the fibers more pliable, mechanically reducing the fibrous material to comparatively s-mall pieces, subjecting the reduced material to the action of a solution of lime, pressing the fibrous mass into shape, 'drylng the pressed material, treating thedried material .with water glass, again pressing the treated material into shape, and coating the treated material with hot bituminous material.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

, MAX` SKOLNIK.`

3. The process of making buildin blocks v and the like whichconsists in su jectin fibrous material to the action of an alkai to make the vfibers more pliable, mechanically reducing the fibrous materialto comparatively small pieces, subjecting the reduced material to the action of a solution of lime, pressing the fibrous mass into shape, drying the pressed material, treating the dried material with water glass, and again pressing the treated material into shape. j

4. The process of making building blocks and the like which consists in reducing brous ymaterial to comparatively small ieoes,

subjecting the reduced material to t e ac-A tion of a solutionv of lime, pressing the fibrous 

